For the Birds: Rose Gardner Investigations #2 (Rose Gardner Investigatons)

by Denise Grover Swank

  “Why don’t we try Mr. Whipple one more time?”

  She nodded. “Good idea.” But once again the phone rang and there was no answer. I was starting to get worried. “Maybe we should go over and check on him after lunch.”

  Neely Kate looked worried too.

  It was a good thing we got there early because the place was already packed. We’d just been seated at a table when Jeanne showed up, still wearing her Walmart vest. She took one look at Witt and took a step backward. “What’s he doin’ here?”

  “This is Neely Kate’s cousin, Witt, and he’s helpin’ us look for Scooter,” I said. “Have a seat. You must be starving after workin’ all morning.”

  “Well . . .” She glanced at Witt again.

  “We’re payin’,” I said.

  When she still hesitated, Witt stood. “I’m not feelin’ very hungry. I think I’ll go sit outside.” He gave us a wave and headed out the front door.

  Jeanne watched him leave, then took his seat even though there was an open chair across from Neely Kate. She grabbed the laminated menu in the middle of the table, flagged the waitress down, and ordered a club sandwich and fries, plus a cheeseburger to go.

  Neely Kate and I ordered our own lunches and a to-go sandwich for Witt. As the waitress walked away, Neely Kate folded her hands on the table and looked at Jeanne dead-on. “We’d like to ask you some questions about Scooter.”

  “That’s why I’m here, ain’t it?” The hostility in her voice surprised me, and Neely Kate’s flinch told me she noticed it too.

  Neely Kate took a moment, then asked, “When did you see him taken?”

  “Wednesday afternoon behind Walmart. Just like I told ya.”

  I took a breath and turned my upper body to face her. “Jeanne, what’s goin’ on?”

  “Whaddaya mean?”

  “I mean, this morning you wanted us to help you find Scooter, now you don’t. What happened?” Then it hit me—Muffy had chased someone out of Walmart. What if that someone had seen Jeanne talking to us? What if they’d scared her off?

  “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” she said, but her eyes darted to the side.

  I lowered my voice. “Jeanne. Someone was there when we were talkin’ to you this mornin’. My dog chased him away, but he came back, didn’t he?”

  Tears filled her eyes.

  Neely Kate reached out and snagged Jeanne’s frail fingers in her hand. “We can help you, Jeanne.”

  “I don’t care about me. I only care about Scooter.” Her voice broke and a tear tracked down her cheek.

  “We care about Scooter too,” Neely Kate said. “Who came to talk to you? And what did he threaten?”

  Jeanne wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand. “He was a big guy. Looked to be in his thirties. He told me if I told y’all anything, he’d kill Scooter.”

  I blinked. “Was it someone you know?”

  She shook her head. “No, but I’ve seen him before.” She paused. “He was one of the guys who took Scooter.”

  “There were two of them?” I asked, then felt stupid. Of course there were. How could one guy kidnap a grown man? They’d used two men to kidnap me. But why was this the first time we were hearing of it?

  “Did you tell Skeeter Malcolm about both guys?”

  She nodded. “His henchman interviewed me first. Then I talked to Skeeter, but he got a phone call and they sent me on my way.” She licked her lips. “The guy today said he knew I’d talked to Skeeter’s guys. He was pissed . . . and he said I was lucky they hadn’t killed Scooter yet.”

  Suddenly, I knew why she’d waited for nearly a week to tell Skeeter what she knew. The kidnappers had already issued a warning.

  Neely Kate was still holding her hand, so I grabbed the other one and held tight. “We’re gonna help you, Jeanne, but you have to tell us everything.”

  Panic filled her eyes. “You can’t tell Scooter’s brother. You have to swear.” I cast a glance at Neely Kate, and Jeanne added, “Or any of his men. They’ll kill Scooter if you do.” Her breath came in rapid pants. “Swear to me you won’t tell them.”

  Well, crap on a cracker. But we had to know what she could tell us, what she wouldn’t tell James and the others. “Okay,” I said. “I swear.”

  Neely Kate nodded. “Your secret is safe with us.”

  Jeanne wiped another tear and lowered her voice. “Scooter was out of sorts for a few days before they . . . took him. He thought someone was watchin’ him. Sometimes his brother had him watched—” Her eyes widened. “Not because he was after him. More like they were bodyguards, keepin’ an eye on him to make sure he was safe. Sometimes his brother just sent someone and didn’t tell him.”

  That didn’t surprise me. James had done the same with me.

  “But Scooter said this time was different. He started insistin’ on driving a different way home, and he was paranoid about lockin’ the doors. He thought maybe he’d pissed off one of the guys who bought pot from him, though he said they all seemed happy.” She paused and licked her upper lip. “When I finished my shift on Wednesday, I went back to see Scooter. We were ridin’ together, and he had to work a half hour longer than me. So I was hangin’ out with him in the back while he was movin’ bags of potting soil.” She blushed. “I like watchin’ him move heavy things like that.”

  Neely Kate squeezed her hand. “Who doesn’t love watchin’ their man be all manly?”

  Jeanne nodded and another tear rolled down her cheek. She pulled both her hands free and swiped it away. “It was just me and him, which was unusual. There was usually someone else with him. And I wasn’t supposed to be there, so I was tucked in behind piles of bagged mulch. They probably thought he was alone.” She wiped a tear. “A four-door car pulled up, and at first Scooter thought they were picking up some mulch or potting soil.”

  “Was the car a dark sedan?” I asked.

  She looked surprised. “Yeah.”

  “I bet it’s the same car they used to snatch me.”

  She blinked and seemed to be more interested.

  “I told you—they took me and I got away.”

  Hope filled her eyes and she grabbed my arm. “Did you see Scooter?”

  I shook my head. “No. I didn’t, and I’m sure he wasn’t there. Three other men came and saved me. They killed the guys who’d snatched me, so we couldn’t ask them questions, but there was no sign of Scooter.”

  But was that right? What if he’d been there and I just hadn’t known it? It still bugged me that Reynolds’ guys had killed Elijah Landry and Bud. But they’d saved my life. It felt ungrateful to judge.

  Jeanne wiped away more tears. Our food came, and she looked embarrassed when the waitress also handed her and Neely Kate to-go bags. “I shouldn’t have ordered that. But Scooter wasn’t here to cash his paycheck and money’s tight . . .”

  “Don’t you worry about it,” Neely Kate said in a cheerful voice. “Our treat.”

  I let Jeanne take a bite of her sandwich before I said, “What happened after the guys pulled up in the car?”

  “Both of them got out and grabbed Scooter by the arms. They started to drag him to the back of the car, but Scooter was having none of it. He tried to break loose, then yelled, ‘Run, Jeanne!’ That caught the guys’ attention. The bigger one—the one who came to see me this morning—whacked Scooter in the back of the head, and I screamed. Scooter slumped to the ground, and the big guy lunged for me and put a hand over my mouth to stop my screaming. The other guy wanted to take me too—he said there weren’t supposed to be any witnesses—but the big guy insisted his brother had only told him to take Scooter. He said they could use me to their advantage. Then he told me not to tell anyone or Scooter was a dead man.” Tears filled her eyes. “They dumped him in the back of the trunk and took off.”

  “What made you decide to tell Skeeter?” Neely Kate asked.

  “They came to get me, and when I saw how powerful they were, I thought maybe they could save
him.”

  “And you have no idea who the men were?” I asked. “Had you ever seen them before?”

  “No.”

  I pulled the folded photo of Elijah Landry out of my backpack. “Do you recognize either of these guys?” I asked, pointing to the two young men in the picture.

  She sat stock-still, and I was sure she was going to say yes—so when she shook her head, my heart sank. Were we dealing with two different sets of kidnappers after all?

  “I don’t recognize one of them,” she said. “I recognize both.”

  Chapter 21

  “You’re certain?” Neely Kate asked.

  She nodded.

  “Was this the guy you saw this morning?” I asked, pointing to Paul Beagle.

  She nodded.

  I turned to Neely Kate. This was huge. “We need to look for Paul Beagle.” I glanced out the window and saw Witt sitting on a bench across the street, pretending to be ogling a young woman as she walked by. Or at least I told myself he was pretending. “I’m gonna take Witt his lunch and tell him about this new lead.”

  I turned my gaze to Jeanne, making sure she was comfortable with that.

  “Do you really think you can find Scooter?” she asked, looking hopeful.

  “We’re one step closer thanks to you.” I grabbed Witt’s bag and stepped out into the sunshine, sweat already beading on my forehead. I scanned the street before crossing it and caught a glimpse of Jed in the distance. If Witt saw him, he was going to be pissed. I pulled out my phone and sent Jed a message.

  If you’re gonna follow us, you can’t let Witt see you. We promised him we’re working independent of James.

  He read my text, then pocketed his phone.

  Butthead.

  I headed across the street and sat next to Witt on the shaded bench. “We got you something,” I said, handing him the bag. “You found a spot with a good breeze.”

  He opened the bag and pulled out his sandwich, then took a bite. “Good place to observe things too,” he said through a mouthful of food. “I can see you girls if you leave Merilee’s. If I turn a bit, I can see your office to the side. And if I turn the other way, I can see Jed Carlisle bidin’ his time until you girls leave.” He took another bite, as nonchalant as he pleased.

  How did I respond to that?

  He chewed, watching me and waiting for a response. Finally, I said, “It’s not exactly what you think.”

  “And how’s that?” he asked good-naturedly and took another bite.

  “I don’t think he’s here on Skeeter’s behalf.”

  “Why else would he be here?”

  “I suspect it’s more personal in nature.”

  He lowered his hand to his lap and narrowed his eyes. “Personal how?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say.”

  “Then I may not be at liberty to help you.” I would have expected anger behind those words, but I heard resignation instead. “Look, you’re just foolin’ yourself if you think you can work independently of Skeeter Malcolm. No one’s ever gonna trust you, and even if you could, you’d be a sittin’ duck.”

  I didn’t say anything. How would I answer? I was pretty sure he was right.

  “There’s no denying you pulled off a nifty trick with Buck and Dermot, but you probably gained a new enemy too. It’s a rough world, Lady. I suspect Malcolm’s done a good job of shieldin’ you from a lot of the ugliness, but it’s there, bobbin’ below the surface, just waitin’ for the right moment to snatch you and drag you under.”

  “You think I’ll end up dead if I continue this?”

  He sat up straighter. “I like you, Rose. A lot. You’ve made Neely Kate’s life so much better. She’s never had a friend like you—someone good—but even if you don’t end up dead, you’ll lose your goodness. Once you wallow in pig shit, it’s hard to lose the stench.”

  I nodded and folded my hands in my lap. I could see the truth in his words. It wasn’t so different from what James had told me. “But I can make a difference, Witt. I have the power to help people.”

  “Did you ever think that the people you’re tryin’ to help might not deserve it?”

  He shoved the last half of his sandwich into his mouth, probably to signal he was ready to end the discussion. Too bad I wasn’t done.

  “I’m committed to findin’ Scooter,” I said.

  “And I’ll help you with that, because you’re right—if Scooter Malcolm turns up dead with no clear-cut answer as to who did it, this county will become a war zone. But after that, I’m done, and I’m gonna do my best to convince Neely Kate to leave it behind too. And if that means distancing herself from you, so be it.”

  I gasped.

  “It’s not personal, Rose, as stupid as that sounds. But NK’s been through way too much. I just stood back and let it happen in the past, but this time I’m steppin’ up.”

  I nodded. “I understand.” And I did. “She’s lucky to have you.”

  “Rose, I want you to—”

  I held up my hand and cut him off. “Let’s just stick to the task at hand, okay?”

  He looked a little hurt by that, but he’d hurt me too. “I showed Jeanne the photo, and she recognized Elijah Landry and Paul Beagle. We have a connection.”

  His eyes widened.

  “We’re fine in the café, and as you pointed out, someone else is watchin’ us. So why don’t you head back to the office and look him up? With Neely Kate’s friend looking for addresses for their parents and grandparents, and you looking for something on Paul, we’ll have plenty to go on.”

  “You want to head out to the junkyard where Landry worked?”

  I shook my head. “Not yet. It seems like we should check it out, but I feel like we need to be armed with more information first.”

  He nodded and stood. “Thanks for lunch.”

  “A deal’s a deal.”

  “Rose,” he said in a pleading voice.

  I stood and lifted my gaze to his. “You’re right. I’m bein’ careless with my best friend’s life.”

  “I know you would never intentionally hurt her.”

  But I could hurt her all the same. Was that what my vision of Witt was about? Would the situation get too risky for me to continue to involve Neely Kate?

  I went back into the diner and found the waitress handing Neely Kate the bill. I snagged it as I sat down, pulled my wallet out of my purse, and laid some cash on the table.

  “Before you go,” I said softly to Jeanne, “I’d like to say a prayer for you. Would you mind?” It felt like sacrilege, but I was using the gift the good Lord had given me, and I was praying that we’d find Scooter safe and sound, so surely He wouldn’t smite me.

  Neely Kate shifted in her seat next to me.

  “Yeah . . .” Jeanne said, sounding surprised. “Sure.”

  I grabbed her hand and closed my eyes. How many visions could I get away with? There was only one way to find out . . .

  “It’s a silent prayer,” Neely Kate said, explaining my silence.

  I focused and asked, Does Jeanne see Scooter? I was met with a familiar gray fog. I switched the question to Will Jeanne see Paul again?

  This vision burst forth. I was in Jeanne’s head, staring at a gun pointed at my chest. I was sobbing out, “I didn’t mean to tell them, I swear.” The gun went off and my chest burned as I fell to the ground, something sharp poking me in the side. I struggled to breathe, my chest rising to suck in air, but pain radiated through my chest. I heard gurgling blood, and panic flooded me when I realized I was dying.

  Paul’s face leaned over me, wearing a crocodile smile. “I gave you fair warning.”

  “Finish her,” another man said.

  Paul aimed his gun at my head, and I heard the explosion before everything went dark and I was shoved into the icy darkness of death.

  The vision ended, and the abrupt change from the horrific scene to the noisy, chaotic diner was beyond jarring.

  “He gave you fair warnin’,” I said in a rob
otic voice. Then the icy coldness I often felt when I had a vision of someone’s death set in.

  “Amen,” Neely Kate said in a cheerful tone.

  “Thanks for lunch,” Jeanne said, starting to stand. “Could you let me know if you hear something?”

  I tugged her back down. “Can you wait just a moment? I need to talk to Neely Kate before you go.”

  “Okay . . .”

  I grabbed Neely Kate’s arm, pulling her from her chair and toward the hall to the bathrooms.

  “Why is your hand so cold?” she asked, then started rubbing it. “It’s like ice. What did you see?”

  “Paul’s gonna kill Jeanne for talkin’ to us.”

  Neely Kate gasped. “What are we gonna do?”

  “I don’t know, but we can’t let her go. We have to protect her.”

  “How are we gonna do that?”

  “Do you have any suggestions? She needs to be guarded.”

  Neely Kate pushed out a breath. “Maybe we should turn to Skeeter. Scooter is his brother.”

  “We promised her that we wouldn’t, Neely Kate.”

  “I know, but we’re out of our league, Rose.” She paused for a moment, looking past me toward Jeanne. “Maybe we should call Joe.”

  I gave that one some consideration. “She could tell Joe about the kidnapping, and I can tell him she’s in danger. They can protect her . . .” I said, thinking out loud. “What’s the downside?”

  “The sheriff would get involved in the investigation,” Neely Kate said. “Our paths could cross, and we’d no longer have the excuse that it’s not an open case.”

  “Do you have any other ideas?”

  She shook her head.

  “Then let’s hope we can convince her.”

  All the luck in the world wouldn’t have helped us.

  “No. No way,” Jeanne said in a panic, pushing her chair back. “I ain’t talkin’ to no police.”

  “You’re in danger, Jeanne,” I said. “You need protection.”

  “The police aren’t gonna help me. I’m better off on my own.”